Hiroshima {Yuu}

[Hiroshima]

HONDA YUU
-HIROSHIMA, JAPAN-

"A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it."

Name: Honda, Yuu
Origin: Hiroshima prefecture, Japan
Gender: Male
Orientation: Very possibly bicurious.
Religion: Shinto
Birthday: April 1, unspecified year.
Age: 19
Languages spoken: Japanese, English, German

Personality:

Reserved, quiet, and even a bit shy, Hiroshima often can't be bothered to talk. He was very much isolationist for most of his life, growing up quietly with his brother and younger sister. The social life, the world's spotlight; these were things he could not cope very well with. He was, in all honesty, quite happy with the fact that the rest of the world did not even know he existed. He can, in fact, even be called a 'Kuudere'; someone who is cool and composed on the outside but has an inner warmth that can be (sometimes) accessed. When he does speak, though, Hiroshima is very much known to have a snarky streak.

He's often blunt and sarcastic, to the point of being a little caustic if he's not careful in what he says. He's foulmouthed when upset, and has a temper problem that stemmed from the bombings and bitter feelings toward a certain American, hero wannabe. The prefecture can be rather stubborn and brash, basically unchangeable once he makes his mind up about something or someone.

This can put him to quite a disadvantage, seeing as open-mindedness usually makes this world go round.
That isn't to say he is a completely intolerant person. He merely can be thick headed at times, be it rushing into a situation without thinking over his options, or speaking in too caustic a way to someone who is supposed to be a friend.


Appearance: As an Asian city, Hiroshima is quite small, standing at 5'4" (162 centimeters) and weighing in at about 125 pounds (56 kilograms). He may look bony, but he has a decent build underneath it. He is pale-skinned, with dark eyes and black hair that reaches about mid-neck, tied back and out of the way in a loose ponytail. He's covered in burn scars because of the bombings, but they're faint and it takes a dim light to throw them into relief. Nowadays, he is more likely to be caught in Western clothing rather than traditional Japanese - a matter of preference, he supposes.

Relationships:

Russia: "He's a sick bastard. There's not much else to say. He's just about the reason I ended up in that godforsaken house -- and the reason everything came back to me like a flood. I don't like him, at all, if you want the simple version."

North Korea: "Che, he's not bad. He and I have a lot in common, I guess, so there's no reason for me to dislike him. In fact, he's kind of with Onii-san, so my being any sort of awful to him might result in annhilation. Not that I would, but whatever. We've actually become good friends... He's a good guy once you get past the prickles."

Japan: "Onii-san. He's... well, what more can I say? We're close, almost more friends than siblings. I grew up with him, and he's been around when I've needed him most. He's an honourable individual, someone I admire to this very day. If you fuck with him, you fuck with me. Enough said."

America: "You want me to talk about this fucker, why?! He -- I don't even know. I hate him so goddamn much. I wasn't even involved in World War Two, I hope he knows that. If I ever see that 'hero's face again, I'll break his fucking neck and --" ...Hatred. Complete and utter hatred. He's been, reluctantly, putting an effort forward to patch these horrid relations up, but his pride would not let him sink to that level. We apologize for the horrible, terrifying images.

The Gaza Strip: "...No. Just-- Wh- why do you want me to talk so openly about people like this? Are you some kind of sadist? ...A- alright, fine, I love her. I really do, I have warm feelings whenever we're close to each other. The-- the warm and fuzzy, fluffy kind of feelings, okay?! The ones that give you the diabetes to think about! S- she's beautiful, and I want so very badly to be with her-- Wait. No, I don't want to talk any more--" Hiroshima, so normally ineffectual when it comes to matters of the heart, seems to have fallen hard for the Middle Eastern nation. It's not uncommon for him to be a faint shade of pink when she's around.

Croatia: "Jelena isn't bad. We're almost on the same wavelength a lot of the time, so I suppose that was why we banded together in that house. Well, while we could, anyway. She's a good friend to have - let's just say I wouldn't want to be her enemy."

China: "I... I honestly don't know what to say. I did some things to Chuugoku-san's people that I regret, and I want to make it up to him. Why must I have so much goddamn pride that I can't even apologize to the man?! God, I-- I-- ...Fuck it all. I'm so very sorry, Chuugoku-san. For everything."

England: "Hrm. He of the monstrous brows. You know, this is someone that, despite that prickly exterior, isn't as bad as you'd think he is. He's just... tough to crack is all. I like him, really."

Washington, D.C.: "Che... He can be called a friend, I guess. We share common ground on nuclear disarmament, and he's actually calming to talk to. Unlike his dumbass, hero-syndrome father, he seems to know what he's talking about. Kid's got a good head on his shoulders; I can see us getting a bit closer in the future."

Argentina: "She's... wow, what is there to say about her? She says I remind her of herself when she was younger, and I suppose that's a good thing. I mean. Miss Evita is a very strong woman, someone I would never fuck with, and I mean NEVER. I really like being around her -- she's like a mother, I suppose."

History:

Sengoku Period

• 1589: Hiroshima is founded on the river delta coastline of the Seto Inland Sea, by warlord Mori Terumoto, who made it his capital.
  
  
• 1593: Terumoto moves in to his new city, and Hiroshima Castle is built.
  
  
• c. 1600: Terumoto is on the losing side of the Battle of Sekigahara. Possession of Hiroshima passes to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
  
  

Tokugawa Period

• 1619: Possession of Hiroshima Castle passes to Asano Nagaakira, who also becomes daimyo of the area.
  
  
• Hiroshima serves as capital of Hiroshima Domain during this period.
  

Imperial Period

• 1871: The han is abolished; Hiroshima becomes capital of the Hiroshima prefecture.
  
  
• 1894: Sanyo Railway is extended to Hiroshima.
  
  
• 15 September, 1894 - 27 April, 1895: Emperor Mutsuhito maintains his headquarters at Hiroshima Castle.
  
  
• February 1 - 4, 1895: First round of talks between Chinese and Japanese representatives to end the Sino-Japanese War is held in Hiroshima.
  
  
• 1904: Further industrialization of Hiroshima as a city is stimulated. ( Russo-Japanese War )
  
  
• 1915: The Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall is constructed as a center for trade and exhibition.
  
  
• First World War: Hiroshima serves as a focal point of military activity; an estimated 500 German prisoners of war are held in Ninoshima Island, in Hiroshima Bay.
  
  
• May 4, 1923: An Apostolic Vicar is appointed to Hiroshima by the Catholic Church.
  
  
• World War II: the Second Army and Chugoku Regional Army headquarters are located in Hiroshima.
  
  
• In preparation for firebombings, students ages 11 - 14 are mobilized to demolish buildings and create firebreaks.
  
  
• 6 August, 1945: At approximately 8:15 AM Hiroshima time, the American B-29 Enola Gay drops an atomic bomb on the city. An estimated 80,000 are killed instantly, with the casualties rising to a total of 90 - 140,000 by the end of the year. About 69% of the city's buildings are destroyed, with 7% severely damaged.
  
  
  

Postwar and Today

• 17 September, 1945: Hiroshima is struck by the Makurazaki Typhoon, suffering more than 3,000 deaths and injuries prefecture-wide; this further devastates the city.
  
  
• 1949: Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law is passed. It provides financial assistance for reconstruction, along with donated land previously owned by the government and used for military purposes.
  
  
• Design is selected for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial; the closest surviving building to the epicenter of the explosion is designated the Genbaku (Atomic) Dome.
  
  
• Hiroshima is proclaimed a City of Peace by the Japanese parliament, at the initiative of its mayor.
  
  
• 1955: Peace Memorial is opened in the Peace Park.
  
  
• 25 October, 1955: Sadako Sasaki passes away at the age of 12 from leukemia caused by the bombing in Hiroshima. She had reached her goal of 1,000 cranes by August of that year with the help of friends.
  
  
• 4 January, 2010: Tsutomu Yamaguchi, one of few double-hibakusha (survivors of both atomic bombs) passes away of stomach cancer at the age of 93.
  
  6 August, 2010: For the first time in 65 years, a representative from the United States is present at the Hiroshima Memorial service.
  
  

Likes:

• Peace and quiet
  
• Rain
  
• Japan
  
• The Gaza Strip
  
• Small animals (Cats, rabbits and such)
  
• Gardening
  
• Cold weather
  
• Apples.
  

Dislikes:

• People who can't keep their mouths shut
  
• Being provoked (often by the above. >>;
  
• Planes; basically anything mechanical that flies (even now, they make him shiver)
  
• Heights as an extension of his plane phobia
  
• Hero complexes (Developed as a result of... you know.)
  
• Ivan
  
• Hot, miserable weather
  
• Loud noises
  

Hobbies:

• Gardening ("Sh- shut up! It's relaxing, okay?!")
  
• Cursing out America (While not a hobby, he does this enough for it to be considered one)
  
• Meditation (While not as 'out there' as gardening, this helps keep his temper in check.)
  
• Practicing the tango >>;;
  

Random Quirks:

• Tends to stammer or mix Japanese with English when frustrated or embarrassed.
  
• Toys with his hair and/or meditation beads whilst thinking.
  
• Prideful and headstrong. Often tends to judge people on their first impression, which leads to negative feelings.
  
• Seeing as he was raised samurai, he's got a strong sense of chivalry toward women and girls, and can't stand people who don't have the same kind of respect.
  
• When speaking Japanese, has a Kyoto dialect. This is more associated with girls. Don't tell him.
  
• Still speaks with a thick Asian accent, especially when provoked. Beckie will only type this out when she feels like irritating her muse.
  

Roleplay Sample:

Another blur of miserable, endless days. Another frantic search for a crudely-named, probably mistreated hostage of this sick Russian's. Yuu could only wonder how long it had been since he had been lured into Ivan's trap; on the pretense of his sister. Shivering and shaking it off, he made his way back to the 'bulletin board', only half-listening to Ivan ramble at this point; a hand running unconsciously over the angry, crimson ropeburn marring his throat. His voice gave Hiroshima chills, most of the time; this was no different. Finding the hierarchy board with a soft, annoyed huff, the Japanese looked up and down the list, a vein throbbing as he realized that he was still. At. The. Bottom. Che, what the hell was up with that?! Did this stupid communist (with no offense to China meant) think that poorly of this proud, Japanese prefecture? It made absolutely no sense at all. Things were just getting crazier.

Miserable. It was the only ranking there that described how he truly felt. It had been Annoying before; but with the location and 'rescue' of Canada Sir Peter that had changed: Yao, his fellow 'goat sister', as Ivan had dubbed him, had moved up in the ranks to Irritating. Kiku -- his brother of all people, how did he get sucked in?! -- remained at the top of the lower classed hierarchy, under Senseless. Just stinking lovely. Yuu glanced over at the Croatian beside him, his search partner, someone he'd found to be a friend. The confusion was clear in his eyes: Bird of Happiness? Who was it, and how long would their confinement go on for? The friction burns on his neck seemed to burn as he read over the words, and listened to the announcement. Huh. Poor, stupid bird. Lost in Russia's fucking messed up storybooks, was he?

Bending down, he picked up the storybook and flipped it open, setting it upon the table. The more he turned pages, he found spatters of what was either red ink or... He couldn't bring himself to think of it. Blood. He turned each page gingerly, as though afraid of ripping the ancient-looking paper with a wrong move. As Ivan spoke the rhyme, an involuntary shiver passed down the dark-haired teen's spine. "Bird of Happiness..." he muttered, more of a musing than anything else. He'd barely an idea of who this 'lost bird' could be; and where he could be found. As a manner of thought, he took the knife from where it stuck, holding it tightly, and forced its blade into the bulletin board again, this time where the childish, crudely drawn 'rose seal' remained. Screw this.

Roleplayer: Hirolove.

Password: Hetalia...rocks, I guess.

______________________________________

[America]

Approved!